Refillable liquid dispenser

ABSTRACT

A flexible walled container has first and second integrally formed chambers arranged one above the other, with an integrally formed separating wall therebetween. A tubular plug is threadably received in an insert fixed in an opening defined by said separating wall, and access to the plug is provided through a dispensing opening in the upper or second chamber. The plug carries a tube or conduit through which liquid can be forced by squeezing the lower or first chamber defining portion, and the plug has a laterally open passageway for directing the liquid toward the side of the second chamber to permit filling of the latter to a desired level after which the container can be inverted to dispense only that liquid in said second chamber.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Robert J. Donoghue 900 Windsor Ave., Windsor, Conn. 06095 [21] Appl. No. 800,456

[22] Filed Feb. 19, 1969 [45] Patented Junel,l971

[54] REFILLABLE LIQUID DISPENSER Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Normal L. Stack, J r

ABSTRACT: A flexible walled container has first and second integrally formed chambers arranged one above the other, with an integrally formed separating wall therebetween. A tubular plug is threadably received in an insert fixed in an opening defined by said separating wall, and access to the plug is provided through a dispensing opening in the upper or second chamber. The plug carries a tube or conduit through which liquid can be forced by squeezing the lower or first chamber defining portion, and the plug has a laterally open passageway for directing the liquid toward the side of the second chamber to permit filling of the latter to a desired level after which the container can be inverted to dispense only that liquid in said second chamber.

PATENTEDJUN Man 3581; 953

INVENTOR ROBERT J- DONOGHLJE.

REFILLABLE LIQUID DISPENSER SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates generally to refillable liquid dispensers, and deals more particularly with a squeezable container having storage and dispensing chambers which communicate with one another through conduit means removably received in integrally formed wall means separating said chambers.

Multicompartment containers for dispensing measured quantities of liquids have been proposed herefore, and the reader is referred to US. Pat. No. 3,347,420 issued to the inventor herein for illustrative examples of possible forms for such a liquid dispenser. While the squeeze bottle-type container described in said patent has proven to be quite useful in storing limited quantities of different liquids in a container having dispensing means for accurately metering, or measuring, limited quantities of the liquid, it does suffer from one disadvantage in that the internally mounted conduit means for siphoning the liquid from a storage chamber to the dispensing chamber is disclosed therein as being permanently mounted in the container rendering the container not readily adaptable to being refilledfor reuse by the consumer.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a measuring bottle which can be refilled as needed from larger containers which the consumer might have available in his own normal course business. For example, consumers of relatively large quantities of commercial detergents or chemicals normally receive such liquids in large containers such as 50- gallon drums. The consumer, or his employee, is then required to devise his own system for drawing the liquid from such a 50- gallon drum and using the same in his business. As a result of the unique construction proposed herein for a refillable liquid dispenser capable of dispensing measured quantities of liquid, such a user would be the type describer herein, which bottles could then be filled and refilled from the larger containers as required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view partly in vertical section showing a squeezable container constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the liquid transfer conduit means and its associated retaining nut shown in FIG. 1, including the plug fitment portion thereof.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the annular nut shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing the upper portion of a squeezable container having its liquid transfer conduit means, and more particularly the plug fitment portion thereof threaded directly into the circular opening between the two chambers.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the plug fitment for use in either of the containers shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a vertical elevational view of a socket-type tool which might be used to insert or to remove the plug fitment of FIG. 5 from a container of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

FIG. 7 is plan view of an alternative embodiment for the threaded insert shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment for the threaded insert shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the plug fitment for use in a container of the type shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The presently preferred form of container in which an internal liquid transfer conduit means of the present invention is provided is shown in its entirety in FIG. I. This container is preferrably molded of a light-transmitting (preferrably translucent) plastic moldable material such as polyethylene of the like to provide at least one storage chamber 10 having relatively thin but sturdy flexible walls as shown. The upper por- I tion of the container is separated from the reservoir-defining chamber 10 by integrally molded walls means, indicated at 12 in FIG. I, which wall means comprises a necked down portion of the generally cylindrical container shown in FIG. I. It will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art that the cylindrical container of FIG. I is illustrated by way of example only, and that is associated chamber might also be defined as part of a multicompartment container as described in the above-mentioned patent. It is also noted that depending upon the size of the particular container in relationship to the thickness of its walls, reinforcing webs might be provided in the necked down portion 12 of the wall means connecting the reservoir-defining chamber 10 with the upper portion of the container as shown in the above-mentioned patent.

The reservoir-defining chamber 10 is operably associated wit an upper measuring, or dispensing chamber 14, and the upper chamber defines a filler opening 16 with integrally formed closure securing means 18 for threadably receiving a conventional screwcap (not shown).

In accordance with one presently preferred embodiment of the subject invention an annular insert 20 is secured in the internal circular opening defined by the wall means 12, as for example by sonic welding or other suitable means, so as to prevent the insert 20 from rotating once said insert has been forced into place as shown in FIG. 1. As best shown in FIG. 3, the annular insert 20 defines a female thread 22 for threadably receiving the conduit means, and more particularly the plug fitment portion 24 thereof. An external rib 21 on the insert may also be provided to aid in anchoring the insert in the opening.

The conduit means comprises the fitment 24 and an elongated tube 26, which tube projects downwardly into the reservoir I0 and communicates with an axially extending internal bore provided for this purpose in the plug fitment 24, which axial bore communicates with the nozzle opening 28 in the upper portion of the plug fitment 24. As so constructed and arranged the user can exert a squeezing action of the lower portion of the container which draws liquid upwardly through the tube and outwardly through the nozzle opening 28. The latterly outwardly directed nozzle opening 28 directs the liquid against the sidewalls of the dispensing chamber I4, causing that chamber to be filled to the appropriate depth as a result of several successive squeezing motions accomplished on the lower reservoir defining portion of the container. Markings may be provided on the upper portion of the container to accurately measure out predetermined quantities of liquid to be dispensed.

The plug fitment 24 can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 to have an inwardly and upwardly tapered portion which defines the nozzle opening 28 adjacent its upper end, and which upper end also defines a screw slot 30 into which a conventional screwdriver can be inserted for inserting or removing the conduit means from the container. The lower portion of the plug fitment defines a male thread, best shown at 32 in FIG. 2, which allows said plug to be threadably received in the annular insert 20. An annular shoulder 34 on the plug fitment serves to abut the flange 36 provided for this purpose on the annular insert 20.

FIG. 4 shows a container of the general type shown in FIG. 1, but without the annular insert 20 being provided in the opening defined between the chambers 10 and 14. That is, the wall means 12a provided between the reservoir-defining chambers 10 and the dispensing chamber 14a is formed with its own integrally defined female thread for threadably receiving a plug fitment 24a. The plug fitment 24a is generally similar to the fitment 24 described in hereinabove, except that in place of the screws slot provided adjacent its upper end a pair of closed flat surfaces 30a, 30a are provided adjacent the flanged portion 340 for receiving a suitably defined wrench or the like. As so constructed and arranged, it will be apparent that the conduit means provided for drawing liquid from the reservoir'defining chamber 10a upwardly to the dispensing chamber 14a of FIG. 4 can be conveniently inserted or removed for refilling the container with a liquid as described above with reference to the preferred embodiments of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 still shows another embodiment for the plug fitment for use in combination with a siphon tube of the type shown in the previously described embodiments. The plug fitment 24b utilizes a hexagonal nut defining portion 30b for rotating the plug fitment to assemble the resulting conduit means with an associated container. FIG. 6 shows a socket-type tool 31b for assembling the plug fitment 24b with a container of the type shown in FIG. 1, and for removing the plug fitment therefrom for refilling said container.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a generally annular insert, c and 20d respectively, of the type which night be adapted for use in a noncylindrical container, or in a cylindrical container having its wall defining portion so formed as to receive either the oval insert 20c of the generally square insert 20d shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 respectively.

FIG. 9 shows a plug fitment 24c having a nonthreaded cylindrical lower portion 32c which might be of appropriate size for being forced into a corresponding opening defined either by the wall means 12 between the upper and lower chambers of the container, or in a suitable annular insert of the type shown in FIG. 3 but having a straight walled axial bore in place of the threaded bore indicated generally at 22 in that view. In the FIG. 9 construction means is provided on the plug fitment Me for withdrawing the same from its associated container. More particularly, a pair of radially outwardly extending lugs 36, 36 are provided immediately above the annular flanged portion 34c, and an opening 38 is provided in each of these lugs 36, 36 to permit insertion of a suitably defined tool for drawing the plug fitment 24e upwardly out of the opening in the container.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a unitary body including as integrally formed components a first chamber-defining compartment and a second chamber-defining compartment, wall means between said chamber-defining compartments and having an opening therethrough, conduct means extending axially through said opening and having inlet and outlet ends located respectively in said first and second chambers, said second chamber-defining compartment having a second opening axially spaced from said first opening and comprising the dispensing opening for the container, said conduit means comprising a tubular member having one end in said first chamber 1 for receiving fluid therein, a fitment at the opposite end of said tubular member in said second chamber for discharging fluid transversely toward a side wall portion of said second chamber-defining portion, said fitment having a lower portion which defines a male thread and an annular shoulder above the threaded portion, said fitment further including tool engageable formations above said shoulder to permit turning of the fitment when said fitment is located in said first opening, and means defining a female thread for removably securing said male threaded portion of said fitment in said first opening.

2. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein said means for removably securing said fitment in said first opening comprises an insert having a threaded opening for threadably receiving said threaded portion, and means for nonrotatably mounting said insert in said first opening.

3. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for nonrotatably mounting said insert in said first opening comprises a noncircular outer surface for said insert and a complementary first opening defining portion of said wall means for nonrotatably receiving said insert.

4. A container as defined in claim 2 wherein said second opening defining portion of said second chamber-defining portion includes integrally formed closure-securing means.

5. A container as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for nonrotatably mounting said insert in said first opening comprises a radially outwardly extending flange on said insert for engaging the first opening defining portion of said wall means in said first chamber, said flange being sonically welded to the underlying portion of said wall means to permanently secure said insert to said wall means. 

1. A container comprising a unitary body including as integrally formed components a first chamber-defining compartment and a second chamber-defining compartment, wall means between said chamber-defining compartments and having an opening therethrough, conduct means extending axially through said opening and having inlet and outlet ends located respectively in said first and second chambers, said second chamber-defining compartment having a second opening axially spaced from said first opening and comprising the dispensing opening for the container, said conduit means comprising a tubular member having one end in said first chamber for receiving fluid therein, a fitment at the opposite end of said tubular member In said second chamber for discharging fluid transversely toward a side wall portion of said second chamber-defining portion, said fitment having a lower portion which defines a male thread and an annular shoulder above the threaded portion, said fitment further including tool engageable formations above said shoulder to permit turning of the fitment when said fitment is located in said first opening, and means defining a female thread for removably securing said male threaded portion of said fitment in said first opening.
 2. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein said means for removably securing said fitment in said first opening comprises an insert having a threaded opening for threadably receiving said threaded portion, and means for nonrotatably mounting said insert in said first opening.
 3. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for nonrotatably mounting said insert in said first opening comprises a noncircular outer surface for said insert and a complementary first opening defining portion of said wall means for nonrotatably receiving said insert.
 4. A container as defined in claim 2 wherein said second opening defining portion of said second chamber-defining portion includes integrally formed closure-securing means.
 5. A container as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for nonrotatably mounting said insert in said first opening comprises a radially outwardly extending flange on said insert for engaging the first opening defining portion of said wall means in said first chamber, said flange being sonically welded to the underlying portion of said wall means to permanently secure said insert to said wall means. 